Here’s a Nursing Home I Don’t Want to be a Resident Of

Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield, CA has a “policy” of not allowing their staff of not performing CPR. That is not a typo. 87-year-old Lorraine Bayless was allowed to die while waiting for medics to arrive. 9-1-1 was on the phone with a nurse after the woman collapsed:

In the seven-minute, 16-second recording, the nurse told the dispatcher it was against the facility’s policy for employees to perform CPR on residents.

With every passing second, Bayless’ chances of survival were diminishing. The dispatcher’s tone turned desperate.

“Anybody there can do CPR. Give them the phone please. I understand if your facility is not willing to do that. Give the phone to that passerby,” the dispatcher said. “This woman is not breathing enough. She is going to die if we don’t get this started.”

I am not going to take the tack that this has something to do with Obamacare, as it clearly does not. But it does go to the fact that as a society we are getting closer and closer to saying that the elderly, the sick, and the disabled are disposable.

This is part and parcel of the violence we see in this country. Human life is no longer considered valuable.

I have already seen and commented on this story at another blog. What seems apparent to me, aside from the woeful lack of details, is that this nursing home has chosen to pass the risk of a failed attempt at CPR off onto the EMS. In our litigious society, I can see that as a real possibility !

I don’t see how. The tape is very clear that they were wanting cpr to be done. EMS can’t be held responsible. Although if it is in the contract that the residents sign when they move in, they may not be held responsible either. Besides, the lawsuit that may be filed isn’t the issue, it is a lack of compassion on the behalf of the elderly that is the real story. At least to me.